


Support of a Furry Variety

by breatheforeverypart



Series: Watson the Service Dog and his Partner-in-health, Bucky Barnes [4]
Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Winter Soldier (Comics)
Genre: AU, Bucky Barnes Has PTSD, Bucky aquires a service dog named Watson, Clint Barton & Kate Bishop Friendship, Flashbacks, Kate Bishop is a service dog trainer, M/M, Natasha Romanov is a good Auntie, Psychogenic Non Epileptic seizures, Seizures, Service Dogs, Trauma, Traumatic Brain Injury, dissociative issues, newborn Cooper Barton
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:48:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23685664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/breatheforeverypart/pseuds/breatheforeverypart
Summary: Bucky is struggling with frequent episodes of severe dissociation, seizures and general problems associated with C-PTSD (Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) and TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury).  After a disappointing team meeting with Bucky's various medical providers, the duo decides to explore the possibility of working with a service dog.  Kate Bishop lives near the Barton's farm and is recommended by a host of personal and professional contacts.  This 3 chapter story centers on events leading up to the year long process that have led to Watson entering Bucky's life.
Relationships: Clint Barton/Laura Barton/Natasha Romanov, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Series: Watson the Service Dog and his Partner-in-health, Bucky Barnes [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1758628
Comments: 7
Kudos: 80





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This story is very personal for me. I have a service dog named Watson. He is incredible and has made a huge difference in my life. He works very hard in a harness similar to the one I describe in this story. Watson was trained by two amazing professionals whom I now consider good friends. We are a fantastic team, made possible by my support system. Once a dog is trained, it is so important to remember that you are always working and practicing skills. Even when they aren't 'officially' working in harness, they are aware and watching out for their handlers. Please feel free to contact me on my tumblr if you'd like to ask questions regarding my work or my personal experience with my own super service dog. 
> 
> breatheforeverypartbreatheforeverypart.tumblr.com
> 
> Or leave a comment below!

Present Day:

The mattress dipped with Steve’s weight. “Morning Buck, time to rise and shine.” 

“You’re an ass.” Bucky muttered into his pillow. 

Steve patted his partner’s backside lightly. “It’s dog day!” He exclaimed, placing a mug of coffee on the nightstand. 

“What time?” Bucky flipped his legs over the side of the bed. His head swam, and his torso swayed. 

Steve scooted closer to his side. “How are you feeling?” He resisted an impulse to put the back of his hand on his forehead and check his temperature. 

Bucky glared at him. “Why?” He sighed and let himself lean into Steve. “Shit.” His stomach churned at the realization. 

Steve’s wrapped his arm around Bucky’s waist. “You didn’t rip the stitches out.” He smiled at Claire’s handiwork peeking out from under his mussed hair. 

“That’s the good news?” Bucky retorted. “I feel like shit.” 

“The coffee will help with that.” Steve gestured to the steaming cup and tossed him a fresh set of clothes. 

“Did I hurt you?” He asked quietly. 

“No, you banged yourself up pretty good though.” 

Bucky fingered the bruises blooming on his hip and abdomen. “I don’t remember.” 

Steve shook his head. “It was a bad one Buck, a couple actually. I’m not sure, I woke up to you falling on the floor.” He passed a bruise balm Natasha had gifted them to his partner. “Put some of this on.”

He wrinkled his nose. “Smells like medicine.” Bucky heard the shower start and Steve’s clothes appeared in a neat pile outside the bathroom door. 

“Don’t forget to eat, your plate is on the counter.” He called cheerfully. 

“Thanks Stevie.” Bucky slathered the goo on his bruises. His phone chimed. Opening the messaging application, he smiled. Kate’s face appeared alongside a large German Shepard. Her selfie captioned ‘Can’t wait to hug my new partner in health!’. 

***

6 Months Ago – Stark Tower, Conference Room J 

Steve’s hand tightened its grip on his knee. “So, what are you saying exactly?” 

The younger of the two doctors tapped her pen on her notepad. “We’re saying, that Mr. Barnes’ seizures are the result of a complex mix of experiences and injuries.” 

“I’m fucked up, we knew that already.” Bucky rubbed his head, rapidly losing patience with this appointment. 

“No Buck, that’s not it.” Steve sighed. “What’s the next step, the next treatment option?” He shifted to the edge of the conference room chair. 

“I understand how frustrating this must be for both of you. We believe that a cocktail of intensive cognitive therapy, anti-seizure medication, and alternative therapies will modulate the intensity and frequency of the seizures.” 

“What do you mean alternative?” 

“What kind of meds?”

The super soldiers spoke simultaneously. The younger neurologist chuckled and fidgeted with her glasses. “Your brain has been injured through repeated physical and psychological torture and trauma. Decades worth of it, your MRIs depict a severe TBI as well as damage to the centers of your brain that store memories. The mind is difficult to treat, what works for one person, does not work for another.” She paused, choosing her words carefully. “Have you considered a service animal?” 

Bucky looked at his partner. Steve nodded slowly, deep in thought. 

“You have?” 

He nodded, stroking his chin. “I saw how Willow helped you when we visited Barton’s farm.” 

His time with Skye and the Barton’s horses flickered through his mind. Before this moment, he had not thought much about Willow. It had been interesting and sort of relaxing. Time passed in an unusual manner for Bucky most days, but lately his dissociative tendencies had been out of control. He startled when the doctor’s chair squeaked as it moved away from the table. 

The neurologist stepped around the Stark-sized table and handed Steve a thick packet of references and resources. She handed Bucky a prescription for emergency meds and the business card for a one ‘Kate Bishop – Super Dogs for Service’. 

***

One application, six months and a now familiar three-hour drive out to the Barton Farm found a couple of super soldiers dealing with a panic attack in a borrow car. 

“What if I hurt him?” Bucky panted, his voice barely above a whisper. He looked at his prosthetic in horror. Steve caught his metal arm and looped them together. He knew that Bucky would not risk harming him to get at himself. 

“The dogs or the baby?” He asked gently. 

Bucky shrugged. “Both, I don’t know.” His breath hitched as he suppressed a sob of frustration. 

“You are an excellent babysitter, Clint has said how lucky he and Laura are to have us in their lives. Infants are different, but I don’t think you have to worry about holding Cooper today. Nat probably won’t let him or Laura out of her sight.” 

Steve scrolled through his camera roll and swiped through pictures of the Barton’s newest addition. Bucky struggled to attend to the photos, but did manage to look one of Nat holding the wrinkled red infant, screaming at the injustice of being forced into the world. A weary, but elated Laura was being held by Clint in the background, surrounded by paramedics. 

Bucky smirked and forced himself to flex his fingers. “As for the dog, Bucky we’ve talked about this right? You’re ready to take this step. What’s the plan for today?” 

He took a breath and met Steve’s eyes. “We’re going to have lunch with Kate and everyone at the farm. Then we’re going to meet the potential candidates she found. If we like a dog, she’ll have us sign a contract and begin training the dog for me.” 

“Right.” Steve confirmed. “Ready?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My favorite nurse, Claire Temple is summoned to Stark Tower to treat Barnes. After Bucky accidentally trashes a part of the med floor during a dissociative episode and flashback, the reasons for him needing a service dog become clear. In this story, Bucky's experience with his diagnoses and treatment reflect struggles that people deal with every day. 
> 
> Again, my ask box is always open. 
> 
> breatheforeverypartbreatheforeverypart.tumblr.com

***

Twenty minutes later, Clint burped contentedly next to him. “Jems, you and Auntie Nat are quite the team.” 

His daughter blushed and shyly offered a plate of cookies to their guest. Opening her napkin, Kate pulled no less than six cookie bars towards her. “Thanks!” Stuffing one in her mouth she flashed a thumbs-up towards Natasha and her niece. 

“Should we give one to Mom?” Natasha asked. She squeezed Bucky’s shoulder affectionately as she stood from the table. 

Jemma nodded enthusiastically, but glared slightly at the amount of cookies Kate had piled in her napkin. 

The pair returned to the house with their arms full of dishes and leftovers. On the porch Fitz played happily with a new circuit board, courtesy of Banner. 

The baby monitor on the table crackled with static and the shrieking of a brand-new baby. 

“That’s my cue!” Clint popped up from the table. “I’ll leave you two in the capable hands of Katie-cat.” 

“Hey!” Kate grumbled through a mouthful of dessert. Swallowing, she wiped the crumbs off of her hands and turned to the duo. “Now that you’ve seen me devour most of the sugar at this table, shall we get down to business?” 

Bucky shoulders tensed and he turned to partner. 

Taking the cue, Steve brought her up to date with what symptoms he was experiencing. They chatted and Bucky’s mind drifted. 

“Is that normal?” Kate asked gently. She indicated a finger at Bucky. His eyes stared at nothing and he picked at a loose thread on his shirt. 

Steve turned to his partner. “Yeah, his therapist says it’s dissociation. He’s learned to cope by zoning out, which doesn’t sound that bad, but it can be dangerous. Sometimes he doesn’t remember where he is, or when. If it’s really bad, he doesn’t know me.” 

Kate clicked a pen. “Do you mind if I take notes?” 

“Of course.” Steve kept his attention mostly on Bucky, but nodded to the trainer. “The seizures are a mix of generalized, focal and psychogenic non-epileptic seizures. He’s on a mix of meds, but sometimes he can’t tolerate them. He thinks we are drugging him…” Steve’s voice broke. 

“Thank you, Steve. I have your application right…here.” She extracted a file from her messenger bag. “But it’s helpful to see what tasks I could train a service dog to initiate. It’s all about helping this guy stay grounded right?” 

Steve nodded. “I’m impressed. You know your stuff.” 

She half-smiled. “I grew up a couple farms away. I remember when Mr. Barton bought this place and fixed it up. I know a little something about how therapeutic animals can be.” She winked at him. 

“Sounds like you do.” Steve drummed his fingers on the table. “Thank you for your help, Miss Bishop.” 

“You got it.” She applied a layer of balm and smacked her lips. “So, what else can you tell me?” 

***

The gate to the pen clicked closed and all hell broke loose. Bucky inhaled sharply and backed against the wire. 

From her cross-legged position Kate waved him over. “They want to say hello.” She patted the grass beside her expectantly. 

Still wary, he tucked his knees under him. Immediately three puppies attacked. Their bodies jostling for position, small barks ripping from their throats as they competed for his attention. 

Kate laughed and whistled, half-heartedly trying to call off the puppies. “I think they want up.” 

Bucky realized his hands were lifted above his head in a mock-surrender position. Sheepishly he let his arms rest on his thighs. All three dogs launched themselves at him. Rough little tongues scraped at his face. He could hear their snuffling as they wrestled each other for access to skin. 

Bucky reached out and a puppy landed perfectly in the crook of his prosthetic. Kate gathered the remaining two dogs and eased them into a smaller pen. 

“What do you think?” She asked, plopping herself near him. 

Bucky analyzed the furry animal. The dog sniffed his face curiously, then licked the metal of his hand. 

“Careful pal, that’s not a toy.” The sound of his voice surprised him. He could tell by Kate’s expression, that she had not heard him speak in a long time. He had remained silent for most of their visit actually, it wasn’t on purpose. Contrary to Tony’s belief that he refused to speak because he was an ass. He struggled with voicing his opinions, hell he struggled with having opinions too. 

Kate scratched the puppy behind his ear. “He is a smart one, that’s for sure. Patient too. Did you see how he waited until the other two stopped trying to jump on you. That’s when he pounced.” 

“Like a soldier.” Bucky murmured. His surroundings dulled, and his thoughts slowed. The dog pawed him repeatedly and whined. 

A voice called out to him. He could barely hear it, his own blood pounding in his ears. “Bucky. Are you with me?” 

Blinking, Bucky tried to clear the fuzzy memories that were clouding his vision. 

“If you can hear me, please feel what’s in your hands.” 

An order. He could do that. A weight. It was warm, soft and had a heartbeat? 

“Yeah, that’s right. He likes to be pet. Good, he really likes that.” The voice chuckled. 

Slowly his senses returned. The breeze tickled the back of his neck, teasing hair out of the knot on top of his head. The grass he was kneeling on, slightly wet. The warm furry thing in his arms poked its’ nose against his cheek. 

Bucky opened his eyes to a dog starting right back. The creature did not look at him with pity or fear. The dog wiggled importantly, eager to explore again. 

Kate offered a hand to her new client. “His name is Watson.” 

Bucky stood, he towered over her. “As in Sherlock?” 

“Yup.” She popped the ‘p’ dramatically. “He’s going to be the best assistant in-training.” She winked and gestured towards the gate. 

Bucky snuck another look at the dog, their head tilted to one side, tail wagging in anticipation. “How’d you know that he would help?” 

“It’s my superpower.” Kate answered. “Let’s go fill Steve in on the newest member of Stark Tower.” 

***

A Few Days Before Kate’s Arrival 

“Eyes up here.” Claire teased. She tied her hair back and pulled on a pair of gloves. 

Bucky let his glance drift to his lap. He held a bunch of gauze against his head. 

“I mean it, stay awake for me bud. Rogers will be back soon.” She opened her backpack. It was as well-stocked as most Emergency Supply rooms. “You probably have a concussion. Do you remember what happened?” 

His head throbbed against the pressure his prosthetic was currently applying. “Stevie.” His mouth felt weird, words didn’t sound right. Seizures left his body and brain jumbled and confused, but the sharp pain in his skull was new. 

“Bucky?” Claire’s voice increased in volume. “You with me?” Supplies fell to the floor and the nurse scrambled to her patient. 

His limbs tingled and his mouth went dry. Bucky tried to grab the Night Nurse, tell her what was happening, but his body would not comply. 

***

“He didn’t know what he was doing.” Natasha used her body to block Tony from the Common Room. “You know he and Steve will pay for the damages.” 

Tony flicked through images of the destruction to the med floor on his tablet. “That’s not the point Nat.” Bucky had snapped an IV stand in half, barricaded himself in an exam room and terrified half of the staff. He was hurt, post-ictal and confused. Steve believed he was doing the right thing by bringing his bleeding partner to the med floor. Always the hero, that Captain Rogers. 

“I know.” Natasha pinched the bridge of her nose. “Thanks for calling Temple.” 

He shrugged, then straightened and squinted around his friend. The ex-assassin convulsed on the couch violently. “Shit. I’ll get Capsicle.” 

Natasha leapt over the coffee table and was on her knees in a heartbeat. The seizure intensified, gasping sounds audible as the muscular contractions forced air in and out of his lungs. 

“Keep pressure on the scalp lac.” Claire directed, struggling to maintain his awkward position of half-on / half-off the sofa. 

Natasha tried to keep pressure on the wound and let his head move with the spasms. “Should we put him on the floor?” 

“Yeah.” She answered quickly, already easing his legs away from the furniture. Steve appeared, bringing the rest of his partner’s body to the carpet. His chest heaved and Natasha knew that he had broken out his Captain America super-speed to arrive at the Common Room. 

“How long?” 

Temple glanced at her watch. “Going on four minutes.” 

Foamy saliva pooled under Bucky’s head as the seizure slowed. “Just under five.” Claire shook her head. “You like to make me sweat huh, Barnes?” 

He groaned and vomited, his eyes opening blearily. Natasha wiped at his mouth, an intimate act for the former widow. 

“You’re okay.” She whispered in Russian. “It’s okay.” 

Confused Bucky reached for his head. When his fingers brushed the blood, he began to panic. “Natalia.” The word was tentative, difficult to speak. 

Steve eased a towel under his head. “Buck, take a second. It was bad one.” He found his partner’s hand and massaged his fingers. 

“Stevie?” Bucky’s brow furrowed in confusion. How could they both be here? His body screamed for rest, and his mind faded into unconsciousness. 

***

Claire selected a small box from her bag of medical miracles and carefully made her way to Bucky’s top half. Natasha worked at removing the streaks of dried blood from her friend’s hair and face. She excelled at battlefield medicine, but felt infinitely better when stitches and such were left to the experts. 

She prodded at the hair surrounding the wound. “It actually doesn’t look that bad. Scalp lacerations bleed a lot, but they’re not usually dangerous.” 

Curiously Steve peeked at the cut. Immediately his face blanched and he swayed slightly. 

“Don’t you dare Rogers.” Claire snapped. Looking at Nat she asked “Will he tolerate a stitch or three or is it better to butterfly bandage it?” 

“He usually sleeps.” Natasha watched Bucky’s face twitch. She continued to dab at the blood. “He rarely has enough energy to wake up, even if he has a nightmare.” 

“Okay.” She snapped on new gloves and unpacked a suture kit. “A little lidocaine first. He’s no Murdock. Not a glutton for punishment?” 

Steve laughed, a bit of color returning to his cheeks. “No, he’ll appreciate it. I think he’s in for a rough morning.” 

Plunging the needle into her mini sharps’ container, Claire began the stitches. “Thank goodness for small miracles.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's D-Day! As Bruce so awkwardly proclaims after a long night in his lab. It's Dog Day. Watson and Kate are about to arrive. Bucky is a bundle of nervous energy, and Steve attempts to assist him in navigating this life-changing event.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! The dog featured in this story performs some tasks that my Watson and I use to mitigate some of my own dissociative and C-PTSD symptoms. Again, feel free to ask me anything and let me know what you're interested in reading about in terms of these characters and storyline. 
> 
> breatheforeverypart.tumblr.com

Present Day – Midmorning – Common Room at Stark Tower 

***

Bruce padded into the kitchen. “Morning guys.” 

“Hi!” Steve greeted warmly. “How are you doing?” 

He filled the kettle and flicked on a burner before shrugging sleepily. “Long night in the lab.” 

Bucky passed him a tea bag and fiddled with his now cold plate of eggs. 

“Thanks.” Bruce took a stool. “Wait, today’s D-Day.” 

Steve and Bucky both snapped to attention. They stared at Banner in confusion. 

The scientist’s face reddened. “Ah, dog day. I meant dog day. Wow, I’m sorry.” 

Bucky laughed so hard, his side ached. 

“Sirs, one Kate Bishop has arrived. She and her canine companion are waiting permission to board the elevator.” JARVIS interrupted politely. 

Bruce poured the boiling water into a mug fit for Hulk and meekly waved at the duo. “That’s my cue, good luck!” He retreated to his lab, several tea bags stuffed into his pocket. 

“I’m ready.” Bucky addressed the AI. “She can come up, thanks JARVIS.” 

“One moment.” The hum of the elevator drew louder. 

Steve entwined their fingers and bounced a little on the balls of his feet. “Here we go.” He said excitedly. 

All Bucky could manage was a curt nod. The doors opened and Kate waved. “Hi!!” Dropping the leash, she reached for her suitcase. The German Shepard watched her and remained standing in a heel position. 

“Go through.” Kate directed, and the dog exited the elevator before returning to a tight heel at her side. “We’re so happy to finally be here. You’ve got a real winner here Barnes. Go say hi.” She commanded, and Watson pushed a wet nose into Bucky’s hand. 

Kate laughed. “Nice target boy.” 

The men exchanged puzzled looks. Kate explained. “That’s one of the skills we’ve been working on. He’s meant to nudge you when he senses anxiety or dissociation. You’ll practice asking for him to perform tasks like ‘lap up’ and ‘target’ when you need assistance grounding.” 

Bucky sank to his knees and Watson pressed against his chest, turning his head for scratches. “Good boy. Hi there.” 

“Welcome home.” Steve whispered, grinning at his partner and their new furry companion. 

***

Four hours, two notepads worth of directions and several pots of coffee later Kate yawned. “I think you’ve got it! Any questions before I head out?” 

“You’re leaving?” Steve dropped the pin he had been hoping to insert into the kennel he was building. 

Watson sighed and rubbed his head against Bucky’s chest. Kate smiled as her client tightened his arm around his dog in his sleep. Thirty minutes earlier Bucky experienced a drop seizure after an alarm unexpectedly rang from the lab. Kate had observed Steve on autopilot, checking the time, cushioning his head with an abandoned sweater, and turning him in case he vomited. 

The dog had vocalized and looked to Kate for direction. She eased him into a down stay until the convulsions ceased. When Steve rocked back on his heels, Kate released Watson. He immediately sniffed at Bucky’s face and licked his nose. The man emitted a low moan and lifted his hand. Watson licked his fingers and laid down on his torso, his furry head laying against Bucky’s neck. 

“You’re ready.” Kate handed Steve the dog’s customized harness. Bucky had chosen purple accents for the mobility harness. Black and white embroidered letters on both sides’ panels read ‘SERVICE DOG’. A patch in the handle said ‘MEDICAL ALERT’. She had adjusted the buckles to accommodate for Bucky’s height and provided the team with feedback on how to ambulate through tight spaces and stairs. 

Steve brushed the patch Kate had gifted his partner. It depicted one of Bucky’s favorite animated films, Lilo and Stitch. It read ‘This is my handler. He’s a little broken, but still good.’ Steve chuckled. “Thank you, Kate.” 

“Call me anytime. With any questions or just to talk okay?” Kate extended the handle on her suitcase and pocketed her phone. 

“Anytime?”

“Yeah, I don’t sleep much.”

“The two pots of coffee you downed can’t help that problem.” 

She laughed. “I mean it Rogers, it’s part of our contract. We’ll have weekly video chats.” The elevator door opened. “Maybe more than that, just because I love you guys.”   
“We’ll talk soon then.” Steve smiled. “Have a safe drive Kate.” 

“Later gator.” She saluted. “Bye Watty-Watts, love you buddy. Keep him safe.” 

Watson lifted his head as his trainer disappeared behind the metal doors. 

Steve settled himself on the floor at Bucky’s head. “Hey Watson.” 

The dog lowered his head, still watching Steve with interest. Bucky began to wake, his hand stroking Watson’s fur. 

Steve pressed a kiss to Bucky’s forehead. “Hi there.” Watson nestled his head against the crook of Bucky’s neck. His floppy ear tickled his chin. 

“What?” He croaked. Bucky let his eyes close and focused on Watson’s heartbeat against his chest. 

“It’s just us Buck. Kate left a little while ago. You, me and Watson are here.” 

“Real?” He whispered, a moment away from sleep. 

“Real.” Steve confirmed. Placing his hand on top of Bucky’s he felt the strong heartbeat of their newest family member. Watson dozed contentedly with his new humans, already fulfilling his role as a super service dog.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Watty-Watts is a nickname my own trainers gave my dog. We still use it!


End file.
